Roomies
by Standard-Ang3l
Summary: Jason and Caitlyn become roommates and drama ensues. Three-shot! Will post over the week.
1. Chapter 1

"I think that's the last box," Caitlyn said as she fell on Jason's couch. "Now all that's left is my clothes and a couple of pieces of furniture I refuse to put in storage."

Jason groaned but got up, pushing the Rubbermaid container toward what was now Caitlyn's room.

"You didn't have to do that, Jase. Really. Letting me move in with you is enough."

"Nonsense. It's nice to have someone besides Nate around. You actually talk to me."

Caitlyn snorted. "I'm sure your brother talks to you. But seriously. The sooner I get the last of my stuff in here, the sooner we can go to that diner across the street."

"All the more reason for me to help you, Caity."

"Fine. But anything happens to my coffee table, I will kill you," she said, pushing herself up off his couch and leaving the apartment. Jason followed her as she walked to the service elevator and picked up a big rolling suitcase. He caught sight of an old coffee table that was painted black, but had what was conceivably every color in the world dripped and splattered over it in acrylic paint.

"This the coffee table you were talking about?" he asked as he bent over to pick it up.

"Of course. Who else would do something like that to a table?" Caitlyn said as she struggled to pick up a second bag.

"Jackson Pollock on acid?"

Caitlyn raised a brow at him and yanked the bag forward. "You're paying for lunch."

"Don't I always? You never remember your wallet."

"And dessert!" she called down the hallway. "And if you know what's good for you, you'll stop getting yourself in trouble."

"Fine, fine," Jason said as he walked back down the hall to his (and now Caitlyn's) apartment. They weren't living together. They were roommates. Because Nate moved in with Ella, which made Caitlyn want to find somewhere else to live.

Jason had offered his place because Nate was no longer going to be there and he'd really appreciate the company.

It had nothing to do with the fact that he wanted to keep her from moving in with her boyfriend. None at all.

"Jason!" he heard Caitlyn whine over the barking of both dogs. He sped up and put down the table in the living room before he skidded down the hallway to where her room was. Caitlyn was standing there, her arms crossed as she glared at a Bassett hound and a Welsh corgi rolling around in a box of blankets.

"What's the problem?" he asked.

"Your Abby is a bad influence on my Charlie."

"Abby," he said, going and picking up the long-eared puppy, "Doesn't like it when boys pull her ears. Teach Charlie some manners."

"Well…maybe your dog shouldn't be such a flirt!"

Abby howled and wriggled in Jason's arms until he put her down next to Charlie. "Abby is not a flirt. Charlie is a Casanova. Now, do you want me to buy your burger or not?"

"Yes, yes, please!" Caitlyn said, tugging at Jason's arm. "I'll never call Abby a flirt again. Just get them out of that box. That's my handmade quilt and I don't want the dogs on it."

Jason whistled and both the dogs perked up. "Kitchen," he said, pointing at the door.

Both the dogs scrambled out of the box and ran for the door, Abby getting caught on her long ears and tripping into Charlie.

"We can put the gate up in the kitchen while we're gone so that the dogs don't get out," Jason said.

Caitlyn smiled. "Sounds good to me, Roomie."

"Off we go," Jason said, setting up the gate and the pointing at the door. Caitlyn put on a hoodie and grabbed her wristlet before she joined him in the elevator. "I expect you'll be getting your usual?" he asked.

"Double bacon cheddar burger with sautéed onions and avocado and spinach and tomato? With sweet potato fries? And a chocolate malt? Yep."

"What, we're not sharing the wing plate?" Jason asked.

"No, we are. And the fried green tomatoes and pickles plate."

"Somehow, I can't imagine Ella putting up with this as well as I do. And you lived with her for over a year."

"She made me eat a salad with it. And I had to get a small shake."

"We can have salads tonight," Jason said. "Right now we should party. And maybe go buy the dogs some food. And us some food for later."

Caitlyn smiled as he held the door to the diner open for her. "Right-o. What sort of stuff should we get?"

"Bread. Milk. Eggs. Bacon. Cheese. Deli meat," Jason paused and pulled out a crumpled list. "Coffee. Ground beef. Tortillas. Tomatoes. Lettuce. Onions—"

"Okay, okay. I get it. We need everything," Caitlyn said as she caught the waitress' eye.

"Yep. I have all my stuff written down, but if there's something you need, just add it to the bottom."

"Can do. After food," Caitlyn said, opening the menu.

"Dude. If you know what you're going to eat, why look at the menu?"

"Because I can. Also so we can agree on the kinds of wings and what else goes on the fried plate."

"Garlic parmesan, honey barbecue, mild buffalo and lemon pepper for the wings. Besides the tomatoes and the pickles, I think onion rings and zucchini." Jason looked over at her. "Agree?"

Caitlyn smiled. "I think this roomie thing is going to be fantastic."

"I think I'm going to need to add antacids to the grocery list."

"You think you might already eat like a slob because of your rock star life, but you're practically a vegan compared to me."

"I shudder to think how a vegan would react to you."

"Not well," Caitlyn said with a laugh.

After they finished their ridiculously large lunch and went to the grocery store, they came back to the apartment and flopped onto the couch.

"That was…exhausting…and probably the most fun I've ever had with anyone in a long time…" Caitlyn said as she stretched out across the sofa.

"What about your boyfriend?"

Caitlyn shrugged. "Andrew's been a little weird lately. Like, when I suggested that I move in with him he was all 'you sure you want to take that step with us' and shit like that. I mean, we have fun and stuff…but we don't stuff our faces and spend two and a half hours in the grocery store."

"So…even if I didn't offer you the extra room, you wouldn't have moved in with him?"

"Nah. I would have dragged my ass to the apartments near the dance studio. They're…inexpensive."

"And highly dangerous."

"I can defend myself."

"I'd rather you not have to defend yourself at all, Caity," Jason said honestly.

Caitlyn smiled up at him and gave him a quick hug. "Thanks, Jason. Really."

"No problem. Wanna take the dogs for a walk?" he asked. He wanted to keep spending as much time with her as he could.

"Nah. I'm beat. I'm going to unpack a little and sleep, I think. Besides, Charlie's probably just as worn out as I am. I have to get up early and reassure my stupid boyfriend that you have no hidden agenda for letting me live here. Although, really? If he was going to whine this much, he should have just let me move in with him."

"Oh…okay," Jason said, trying to hide his disappointment.

"Night, Jason. See you in the morning."

Jason sat there on the couch for a long moment as he listened to Caitlyn's music start up and he sighed.

_Why_ was Caitlyn taken by a jerk who didn't want her to move in with him? If Caitlyn were his girlfriend, he'd have asked her to move in a _long_ time ago.

Life wasn't fair for him.

(LINE)

"Dude, did you hear? Did Caitlyn tell you?" Shane asked when Jason walked into his brother's apartment the next day.

"Uh…what?" Jason asked slowly.

"Her boyfriend broke up with her," Shane said.

"The jerk who didn't want her to move in with him?"

"Yeah. Apparently…" Shane winced, looking as if he wasn't quite sure he wanted to continue.

"Apparently?" Jason said impatiently.

"Apparently, he's been cheating on her. For a while."

Jason blinked in confusion. "How long is a while?"

"The entire six months they've been dating?"

Jason's upper lip curled in distaste and he growled. "Yeah, Shane? I'm not going to be able to practice today. Tell Nate I'm sorry. I need to go do…something…anything…that won't make me kill that ass." He stood up and picked up his guitar.

"Call Mitchie and Ella so you know how to handle an upset Caitlyn," Shane said.

"Good idea. Thanks. See ya later." Jason left Shane's apartment and pulled out his phone as he walked out onto the street. "Hey, Mitchie? Um…I heard about Caitlyn…can you…can you tell me what kinds of things she likes when she's upset? Like food or movies or whatever?"

"Jason, for the love of god,_ don't_ make a move on her tonight. She _just _got dumped."

"I'm not going to make a move on her…I just thought that since she's my roommate-person-thing that she might appreciate that I care…Why? Do you think I should wait until tomorrow to make a move?"

"Jason. Listen to me," Mitchie said slowly. "I get that you like her. Really, I do. But you make a move on her right now, the day after she moves into your place and the day she got brutally dumped by her douchebag boyfriend? _She will run_."

"Mitchie. I honestly hadn't even thought of making a move until you said it. I just want to make her feel better. So please. Tell me her favorite foods to eat for when guys do dumb shit to her and what her favorite movie is for the same thing. I swear to you I will not make a move on her, even though I'd really, really like to."

"She likes the stuff from Ben's Pizzeria over on Eighth. Just go in there and tell them it's for Caitlyn and they'll know what to put together. Also, go to Amy's and get the chocolate cheesecake, the coconut cream pie and the honey ginger ice creams. And Caits really likes Miyazaki movies. _Whisper of the Heart_ and _The Cat Returns_ are her two favorites. She might want to take a bath when she gets home though, so hold off on just showing her all of that stuff until she's clean and de-stressed."

He frowned in thought for a moment before smiling. "Okay…I think I have a sort of idea…Call Caity for me and see if she's heading home? She said this morning before she left that she was having a light day, in terms of work…" Jason said, hailing a cab.

"Can do, Jase."

"Thanks, Mitchie. Really," Jason said with a smile.

(LINE)

Jason made it back to the apartment loaded down with Caitlyn's favorite three pizzas (white pizza with spinach, a meatball pizza with provolone, feta, garlic and onion and a margherita pizza)—all thin crust, the ice cream flavors Mitchie told him about, and the two Miyazaki movies. He even went down to the tea shop and got a gallon of the lemon-honey-ginger green tea she was addicted to.

He heard the water running in Caitlyn's bathroom and gently knocked on the door. The water paused.

"How long you think you're going to be in there?" he called.

"Maybe half an hour? I just put some deep-conditioning treatment in my hair and it needs to soak in."

"Okay. I um…I got us some food…and…some movies if you want…" he said hesitantly.

"What kind of movies?"

"It's a surprise. Take as long as you want though. I don't mind," Jason said.

"Okay, thanks. Be out in a little bit."

"Fine."

He turned and went out to the living room, where he pushed the two couches around and set them up across from each other, before setting up a huge fort with five blankets and two flat sheets. He also dragged out an air mattress and strung lights up in the ceiling of the fort. He stared at them when he was done, wondering if it might be overkill, when he heard Caitlyn's door open.

"I smell Ben's pizza…" she said, rubbing her hair with a towel. "I guess that means you heard about my break-up. You talked to Mitchie about it, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Jason admitted. "You don't hate me, do you?" he asked after a moment.

"Why would I hate you?" Caitlyn asked as she walked into the kitchen. "You bought my favorite pizzas…"

"And ice cream. Also that tea from that place in Chinatown."

Caitlyn turned to him with an accusing look in her eye. "Are you making a move on me?"

Jason shook his head violently back and forth. "No. No. I just want to make you feel better, that's all."

"No ulterior motives?" Caitlyn asked, a slice of pizza held halfway to her mouth. "I'm not eating this if it's tainted."

"None at all."

Caitlyn smiled and took a large bite. She moaned in happiness. "You got the white pizza with the goat cheese! Oh, Jase. You're my hero, you know that?"

Jason smiled at her weakly. "You want to go sit in the fort and watch the Miyazaki movies I got?"

Caitlyn stared at him. "You made a fort?"

He shrugged. "I was planning on it anyway?"

She smiled and picked up the pizza boxes and took the tea out of the fridge. "Grab some glasses and plates and I'll start up the movie?" she asked.

"Sure thing," Jason said, getting the glasses and plates form the cupboards and following her out to the living room.

She stood there, staring in wonder at the fort Jason had made.

"Wow, Jase…In addition to being my hero, you're magical as well."

He laughed. "I try."

They settled next to each other on the air mattress, and Jason pulled his laptop to him and slipped the first DVD inside. He noticed how Caitlyn had sort of leaned against his shoulder, her still-damp hair soaking into the sleeve of his shirt. He had to move away. He couldn't afford to concentrate on her hair, or how good she smelled or anything else like that that might cause him to do something really stupid.

Caitlyn sighed happily at the first sounds of the theme music and reached for another slice of pizza.

"This is beyond nice of you to do this for me, you know."

"Yeah…but I figure you deserve it."

She smiled at him and patted his knee. "Thank you. Really."

He sighed and moved to get another slice of pizza. Anything to get rid of Caitlyn's hand on his knee.

They finished the first movie and all three pizzas and as the credits rolled, Jason looked over at Caitlyn. "Feel like ice cream and another movie?"

"Duh," Caitlyn said, getting up and practically dancing back to the kitchen.

"Feeling better?" he asked, trying to avoid stepping on Abby and Charlie.

"Yes. But don't think you can weasel your way out of the ice cream and the second movie," Caitlyn said, grabbing the ice cream containers and a couple of spoons. She looked down at Charlie and Abby who were all but smiling up at her.

"They haven't brought down the fort tonight," Jason said. "Think they deserve a treat?" he asked, reaching for a canister with dog prints on it.

"They haven't brought down the fort _yet_," Caitlyn said. "But I guess one treat would be okay."

"Good," he said, smiling at her and throwing two tiny dog biscuits at the dogs. "They've been putting up with each other quite well, I think," he commented as Charlie and Abby happily flopped down onto the tile and chewed on the bone-shaped treats.

"They both climbed in my bed this morning to wake me up. By licking either side of my face. They've learned teamwork and it scares me," Caitlyn said, offering the pint of coconut cream pie ice cream to Jason.

"Nah…I uh…I bought myself three pints as well. Mint Oreo, Lemon Cheesecake, and Coffee Toffee."

Caitlyn gave him a blank look. "Wait, wait, wait. You bought _six_ pints of designer ice cream? And three large gourmet pizzas? And the fancy tea from Chinatown?"

Jason smiled guiltily. "I just don't like it when you're upset, that's all."

Caitlyn put down the ice cream on the counter and threw her arms around Jason's shoulders. "I might have stated something similar earlier tonight, but…Jason…you are absolutely _amazing_, you know that?"

"Thanks for the compliment, Caity, but I think we should go watch _The Cat Returns_ before the ice cream melts," Jason said. He really wanted to just keep hugging Caitlyn but that wouldn't be a good idea.

"Yes, of course," she said, pulling away from him. "Come on, canines," she said with a clap of her hands. Both dogs perked up and skittered towards the fort again.

"The dogs really are cute together," Jason commented as he and Caitlyn crawled back into the fort.

"Yeah. In spite of your dog being a flirt."

"I've told you. My dog is not a flirt. Yours is the flirt. Look at the way he's always tugging on Abby's ears. That's totally the equivalent of hair-pulling in the human world."

"Pfft. Let's just watch the movie," Caitlyn said. She pulled the fluffy down comforter around her shoulders and put a pillow in her lap as she leaned forward eagerly. "I love this one. Cary Elwes makes such a dapper cat."

"You are a weird, weird, child," Jason said, starting the movie.

"I am _not_ a child. I'm twenty-five and a woman."

"Could have fooled me with how short you are."

Caitlyn snorted. "Be nice to me. I've had a hard day."

Jason bit his lip and put an arm around her shoulders. "Andrew's the biggest idiot in the world for what he did to you, I hope you know that."

"Yeah. I know. I just…I don't want to think about it right now…is that okay?" she asked, looking up at Jason.

"That's fine," Jason said, squeezing her shoulder quickly before dropping his arm. "We have a movie to watch anyway."

(LINE)

The movie was over, two of the six pints were gone, and the dogs were asleep.

As was Caitlyn.

She was curled up on her side, the blankets almost covering her completely as she snored.

Almost as loud as Shane.

Jason found it strangely endearing.

He smiled at her and picked up the pizza boxes and the ice cream containers before taking them out to the kitchen trash can. Then he returned to the fort and lay down on the air mattress, facing Caitlyn. Her snores had quieted some, and she looked peaceful as she continued sleeping. Jason softly brushed a strand of hair out of her face and smiled.

It was hopeless.

He was in love with Caitlyn and she was even less available to him now than she was yesterday.

But he could wait.

He was good at waiting.


	2. Chapter 2

Caitlyn had just walked in the apartment and was greeted by Charlie eagerly jumping up and down on her leg and yapping excitedly. Jason had taken Abby to the vet to see if she was doing okay. She and Charlie had gotten into the peanut butter jar last night and licked it clean. It hadn't affected Charlie as much as Abby though. Hence why Abby was at the vet and Charlie was here.

"Okay, okay, I get it," Caitlyn said as she walked into the kitchen and got out a bottle of juice and some crackers. "You want a snack and someone to play with."

Charlie barked and licked her leg.

"Puparoni or Beggin' Strip?" she asked.

Charlie barked again and looked up at her hopefully.

"No, Fatty. You can't have both."

She threw a Puparoni stick at him and he gnawed at it as she finished her crackers. Her phone blared Jason's ringtone and she picked it up.

"Hey, Jase. Everything okay with Abby?"

"Um…that depends on your definition of okay…" Jason said distractedly. "I mean…she's healthy, but, uh…"

"She's also _what_, Jase?" Caitlyn asked.

"She's going to have puppies…" Jason said.

"Puppies?" Caitlyn asked.

"Don't sound so surprised, _Grandma_. Your dog's the one who put them there," Jason said in an accusing tone.

"Well, _Grandpa_. Like I said three months ago. Your little Abby is a flirt."

"Are we really fighting about this, Caity?"

"I only said 'puppies' and then you called me grandma."

"Okay, I'm sorry. But seriously. We should get these two fixed. I mean, puppies are adorable, but I don't want to deal with them on a semi-regular basis."

"You don't want to have puppies with me, Jase?" Caitlyn pouted into the phone.

"Um…" Jason said. "Repeat that?"

Caitlyn's eyes went wide and she almost dropped the phone. "I didn't mean that the way you're taking it."

"Did I say I was taking it any specific way?" Jason asked with a smile she could hear through the phone.

"No. But you didn't have to. I know. I'm a girl."

"Look. Let's just…celebrate this turn of events and start looking up how to care for puppies."

"Celebrate how?" Caitlyn asked.

"Well, we could get the dogs some ridiculously expensive gourmet dog food…and get us our own food…and then read books about puppies."

"Our own food?" Caitlyn smiled. Jason knew how to placate her all too well.

"Yes. Barbecue?"

"From Smoque?"

"Dur. You want me to grab a little bit of everything on the way home?" he asked.

"That'd be great," Caitlyn said. "Extra ribs. I can run down to the Barkery if you want me to so I can pick up some food for the dogs."

"Thanks, Lady Caity. See if they have something for expectant mommies."

"I'll try," Caitlyn said. "I might pick them up some special treats too."

"Okay. See you in a little bit," Jason said.

"Bye, Roomie," Caitlyn said as she hung up with a sigh. Jason was beyond perfect. But she really didn't feel up to a relationship right now. She knew that Jason would never, ever cheat on her, but she always had lingering feelings of self-doubt when it came to stuff like this. Especially thanks to Andrew.

Caitlyn quickly grabbed her keys and Charlie's leash, attaching it to his collar before she set off for the Barkery three blocks over.

"Caitlyn!" exclaimed Janie, the owner, as soon as Caitlyn stepped in the store. "How are you? Where 's Jason?"

"Leaving the vet with Abby. Apparently she and Charlie here are going to be parents."

"Oh, so we have a little stud on our hands, do we?" Janie asked.

Charlie, as if he could tell they were talking about him, gave a happy woof and pressed his front paws against the glass pastry case.

"I think he wants me to buy something for his girlfriend," Caitlyn said. "So…a couple of those peanut butter heart-shaped treats and…some of that awesome beef and lamb stew that makes me feel like my dogs eat better than me."

"Your dogs?" Janie asked with a grin. "I thought Abby belonged to Jason."

Caitlyn laughed. "Well…that's technically true…but we all sort of belong to each other…"

"Including you and Jason?"

Caitlyn groaned and leaned on the counter.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"It's not that I object to it…in fact, I'm rather fond of the idea. But…I'm still feeling a little gun-shy because of my ex."

"Babe, Jason is totally into you. And you live with the boy. You are _killing_ him day after day, I'm sure of it."

Caitlyn glared at Janie and motioned with her hand. "Please just give me the food. Jase is going to be home soon."

"Fine, fine. I'll get you the food," Janie said with a wave as she turned and started making Caitlyn's order. When she slid the plastic containers across the counter a few minutes later, she gave Caitlyn a soft look. "I am serious, though. The two of you are attracted to each other. Even if you don't want to get into something with him right now, you need to tell him that. Just so he knows. You live with him. He deserves that much."

"Fine," Caitlyn said with a sigh. "I'll tell him."

"Good girl," Janie said. "And come back and tell me what happened. I need to live vicariously through you now that I'm married."

"You've been married a month, Janie."

"All the more reason for you to tell me the trials and tribulations of you single twenty-somethings."

Caitlyn laughed. "Bye, Janie."

(LINE)

Jason walked into the apartment with Abby plodding along beside him and smiled when he saw Caitlyn lying across the couch, reading a magazine with Charlie draped across the backs of her legs. Charlie looked up when the smell of barbecue hit him and he jumped off the couch and ran to greet Jason and Abby.

"Caity, I have food," Jason said, walking further into the apartment.

She looked up and grinned. "Hey, Jase. How's Abby doing?"

"Abby's doing fine. I have special vitamins I'm supposed to give her, and she should start eating puppy chow in a few weeks, other than that, business as normal."

"Cool," she said, closing her magazine. "Barbecue time?" she asked.

"Brisket, ribs—baby back and Chicago style, pulled pork, sausage and chicken. With coleslaw, baked beans, potato salad and cornbread."

"And I already made sweet tea," Caitlyn said getting up. "You know, you really are the best roommate a girl could ask for in a guy. You don't get all creepy weird on me, you call ahead to ask if I want food, and when I have a late night, you wait up for me. It's nice."

Jason smiled and tousled her hair. "You're a pretty great roomie yourself, Caity. You're always willing to take Abby for a walk and you usually make sure I'm up before you leave in the mornings and when something runs out, you always add it to the grocery list."

Caitlyn scoffed. "I'm sure Nate did that."

"He has really messy handwriting."

She laughed. "I guess we're good together, huh?"

He gave her a measuring stare. "I guess so," he said in a strange tone.

"Hey, Jase?" she asked softly, jumping onto the counter. "Um…I know I've been sort of messed up since the Andrew thing a few months back…but um…I really…I really care about you, you know that?"

He looked up and gave her a small smile. "Of course, Caity. I care about you too. You're my best friend."

She sighed. "But…but…I don't really want to be your best friend anymore," Caitlyn said, picking at the potato salad Jason had given her.

"Are you moving out?" Jason asked.

"No. No…I…I just meant…I don't want to be _just_ your friend anymore. I've probably never wanted to just be your friend, Jase."

Jason pried the potato salad out of Caitlyn's grasp and entwined their hands, staring at them for a long moment. "Caity…" he started. He looked up at her and smiled. "I never wanted to just be _your_ friend, either. It _killed_ me when you broke up with Andrew and Mitchie told me not to make a move on you."

She bit her lip nervously and looked at him. "It makes me really happy to hear you say that, Jase. But…I don't think I'm ready for a relationship yet…"

Jason deflated a little. "That's understandable."

She reached up and held his chin in her hand. "But I think I'm _almost_ ready. I just don't want you to be a rebound, Jase. That wouldn't be good for either of us." She pressed her forehead against his and grinned. "And it wouldn't be good for Abby and Charlie."

"No, it wouldn't be good for them," Jason agreed. He pulled away from her and pushed a to-go box at her. "But Caity?" he added, opening the cup of baked beans. "I'll be waiting," he said seriously.

She smiled and tore a rib from the rack. "Me too."


	3. Chapter 3

"Any day now," Jason said excitedly when he walked in the door. "Unless she's already had her puppies."

"No, Jason. I would have called you."

"I'm sorry, Caity. I can't help it. I'm excited. When I took her temperature today it was below a hundred degrees. That means that she should have the puppies in the next twenty-four hours."

"Yes, I know," Caitlyn said, getting up from where she was stretched out in front of the TV. "You've read every book on puppies you could get your hands on and you've spent hours looking up care online."

"I want to make sure they'll be okay, that's all," Jason said with a blush as he sat down at the breakfast bar.

"And it's totally adorable," Caitlyn said, wrapping her arms around him from behind. "But seriously, dude. Chill out."

Jason laughed and gave Caitlyn's arm a light squeeze. "I smell food."

"Yes?" Caitlyn asked. "What about it?"

"It smells good."

Caitlyn smirked. "Tell me what kind of food it is and maybe you'll get some."

"I think I smell…meat? And…onions? With garlic?" he asked, sniffing the air.

"Very good. Anything else?"

"Um…tortillas?"

Caitlyn smiled. "Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!" she said, pecking his cheek. "I have taught you well. It's fajitas."

Jason paused as he watched Caitlyn spin around the kitchen towards the fridge and put a hand to the cheek that Caitlyn had just kissed. That was a fairly new development. Maybe it meant she was coming around.

He smiled as he watched her get out a virtual feast considering there was only two people. Of course, Caitlyn usually ate far more than he ever did.

"Yes?" Caitlyn asked, raising a brow at him. "Why are you staring? Is it because of the food? I was bored today. Fajitas are labor-intensive. You have to marinade the meat, slice the veggies, make the pico de gallo and the guacamole and the queso and cook the meat and veggies."

"You didn't need to do all that for me," Jason said.

Caitlyn grinned evilly. "Who said I did it for you?"

Jason stood and went around to the other side of the counter to face Caitlyn. "I did," he said, reaching for a tortilla chip.

"Hey!" Caitlyn exclaimed. "That's not fair. I didn't say you could do that!"

He smirked. "But, Caity…I'm hungry _now_."

She gave him a hard stare and sighed. "Fine. But don't spoil your appetite. I still have to cook the meat."

"Is there salsa?" he asked.

"What kind of fajita feast would this be if there was no salsa?"

"A lousy one."

Caitlyn smiled. "Glad I have you trained so well. Green salsa's in the fridge. Red's in the saucepan on the stove."

"You do not have me _trained_," Jason said sulkily.

"'Fraid I do, Gray," Caitlyn said apologetically. "Feed Charlie and check on Abby while I start the meat?"

"Okay," Jason agreed. He whistled and Charlie came running in the kitchen. "What you want, boy?" he asked, reaching down to scratch behind his ears. "Beef? Chicken? Pork? Lamb?"

Charlie barked once and jumped up to lick Jason's face. "Okay, okay," Jason said. "You can have beef and pretend like you're eating fajitas like us."

He turned to the left and undid the baby lock on the cabinet where they kept the dog food. He dug around for a moment before bringing out the beef and rice bowl. Charlie caught sight of it and eagerly jumped on Jason affectionately.

"Down, boy, _down_," Jason said, pushing the dog away. He opened the package and put it down on the floor by Charlie's water bowl. He stood up and walked over to Caitlyn.

"We're almost out of…" Jason started before looking over at the dog. "T-R-E-A-T-S."

Caitlyn looked up at him. "Spelling out words, huh?" she asked. "Are you that paranoid?"

"Just as paranoid as when I spell out W-A-L-K."

Charlie barked and wagged his tail, looking over at the door expectantly.

"I think he knows that one," she said in a whisper.

"See? The dogs are smart, Caity. It's not just me being crazy."

"Just…go check on your dog, okay?" Caitlyn asked, pushing him out of the kitchen. "I can't concentrate with you in here."

She smiled at Jason's retreating back as he went down the hall to her bathroom where Abby was spending most of her time these days.

Jason had been really, really nice to her in the month or so since he had taken Abby to the vet and they had discussed their feelings. He was still affectionate, but he never pushed it. In fact, more often than not, Caitlyn was the one usually instigating hugs or other shows of affection lately.

She sighed and turned the meat over. Maybe she _was_ ready for a relationship now…it had been a few months since Andrew had dumped her.

"Caitlyn!" Jason shouted.

She jumped, scared out of her thoughts and immediately pushed the pan to the back burner, and turned off the flame. Then she ran for her bathroom.

"Is it—?" she asked Jason as she ran in.

"Puppies? Yes," he said.

(LINE)

Caitlyn smiled at Jason over the four little puppies an hour later.

"Feel like fajitas now, Grandpa?"

"If you didn't let them burn, sure," he said, helping Caitlyn up from her spot on the floor.

"I put them on the back burner, dude. I know I might forget to do my laundry or drain the bathtub when I'm done, but I will never allow our place to burn down."

"Oh, so this is _our_ place now?" Jason asked, sitting on the counter. He reached for another chip and dipped it in the guacamole.

Caitlyn shrugged non-committally. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, we both live here, don't we?"

"Guess so," Jason said softly, getting out bowls and spoons for the fajita toppings.

Caitlyn snuck a glance at Jason. He was paying very close attention to how much cheese he was spooning into the bowl. That usually meant he was trying to keep from doing something impulsive.

"The meat's done," she said. "I'll heat up the tortillas while I let it rest." She reached into one of the drawers and got out a small platter that she transferred the skirt steak to. While she moved the tortillas around the skillet, Jason poured them each some lemonade and got out plates and silverware.

When Caitlyn decided there were enough tortillas, she put them on a plate and slid them across the counter.

She hopped up on the counter and sat there with her plate in her lap, facing Jason sitting at the breakfast bar.

He gave her a look. "Why do you always sit on the counter like that?"

She smiled sheepishly. "Habit leftover from college, I guess. My roommate and I only had one barstool and no dining table. Ella tried to break me of this when we were roomies, but because I made her food, she didn't try too much."

"Ella can cook," Jason said, stacking cheese on his fajita.

"Yes, but I'm the foodie that can make a meal with five ingredients and switch up the leftovers to last an entire week."

Jason smiled and took a bite of his fajita. "So," he started. "What are we going to do about the puppies?"

Caitlyn shrugged. "Call around? See if anyone wants a puppy?"

"You don't want to keep them?" Jason asked.

"Two dogs, four puppies and two people in one apartment? That's a little much, don't you think?"

"Fine. But let's wait a few days before we start making calls."

"Okay, whatever you want. It was your dog that gave birth."

Jason laughed and went back to his food. There was silence for a while except for the hum of the fridge and the sounds of the two eating.

When Caitlyn pushed her plate away, Jason jumped up and started clearing away the dishes.

"You always do that," she commented, watching as he started loading the dishwasher.

"You made the food. We both ate it. It's only fair if I clean up afterward," he said with a shrug as he started putting the leftovers away.

Caitlyn looked down at her lap and the scraps of shredded napkin resting there. "Thanks for that," she said softly, spooning the guacamole into the container Jason was holding out. "I know I use a lot of pots and pans and stuff."

He shrugged again. "I don't really mind doing stuff for you." He turned and opened the fridge, stacking the plastic containers on the shelves.

Caitlyn bit her lip and looked down at her hands. "Jase?" she whispered.

He looked over at her in concern. "You okay, Caity?"

She sighed. "Um…you remember that conversation we had last month? When we found out Abby was going to have puppies?"

"Yeah," he said in a no-nonsense tone.

"Um…I uh…I sort of think that…maybe…I'm…uh…" she paused and looked up at Jason. "I think…I _know_…I'm ready now…for uh…a rela—"

She never finished her sentence because Jason had suddenly pushed her onto her back and was kissing her. On the counter.

Oh god.

He had climbed onto the counter on top of her and was slowly pressing his lips against hers as he played with her hair and stroked her cheek. She whined as he shifted on top of her and deepened the kiss, nipping her bottom lip. She gasped loudly and he took advantage of her reaction by slipping his tongue into her open mouth. After a few minutes of that, Jason pulled back and smiled deviously. Caitlyn's eyes widened as he began kissing her neck and she whined again.

"Jase…"

"Be quiet, Caity. I'm trying to concentrate."

She sighed and let him continue, deciding to run her fingers through his hair. Jason grunted and jerked away slightly and Caitlyn smiled. She sunk both her hands into his curls and pulled. Jason groaned and lifted his head away from her neck.

"You just had to pull on my hair, didn't you?" he asked accusingly.

She grinned. "I'd like to make out somewhere a little more comfy," she said. "Not that I don't mind kissing in the kitchen, but seriously. The granite is hard and cold and I'd like to not worry that I might fall into the sink or hit my head on the stovetop."

Jason grinned and kissed her cheek. "Fine. We can move," he said, sliding off the counter and pulling Caitlyn into his arms. He was about to drop her on the couch when he felt something nudge his leg. He looked down.

"No, Charlie," he said with a sigh. "No fetch tonight. I'm busy."

Charlie whined and stood up on his hind legs, pawing at Jason's knee.

"Charlie," Caitlyn said shortly. "Bed. Now," she ordered, pointing towards her room.

Charlie gave a short bark and turned and ran for Caitlyn's room.

When he was gone, Caitlyn smiled up at Jason and played with his hair. "Were you going to do something before Charlie bugged us?" she asked.

Jason blinked and smiled. "Oh, yeah, right," he said, tossing her onto the couch. He smirked at her before he kissed the side of her head. "You know, Roomie? You're a very good kisser."


End file.
